Two wheels are better than four

Kelly Connor: "Studies show that a workforce who regularly cycles to work will be more fit and healthy and take less time away from work for illness."

Countries in Europe and Asia promote an alternate form of transportation to the four-wheeled, polluting vehicles we most often drive in Canada. Many of these places are far friendlier to cyclists and motorcyclists than Canada, and they’re more accustomed to sharing their roadways with two-wheeled vehicles.

Due to Canada’s climate we have only six months in a year in which choosing a motorized two-wheeler is possible, but is this all that is stopping Canadians from leaving their cars in the garage and choosing a more environmentally friendly option?

In a society that puts so much emphasis on the reduction and offset of personal carbon footprints, it’s still difficult for many Canadians to find the motivation to make changes. Other than the obvious benefit to the environment, Canadians need better reasons to change.

Should our government incentivize the use of motorized cycles? Cities such as Toronto, Edmonton and Halifax already have regulations in place to provide free parking for motorcycles and scooters because they produce fewer emissions and use less parking space than cars, but what about the rest of Canada?

Urban centres are moving to encourage the use of bicycles by providing easy, safe storage of bikes, and the benefit is twofold. Not only is it better for the environment, but studies show that a workforce who regularly cycles to work will be more fit and healthy and take less time away from work for illness.

Vancouver and Calgary offer a parking fee break and designated parking spaces for motorcyclists and scooterists; while this is a start, why is it taking so long for the federal government to get on board?

Although bicycle and roadway laws are generally governed provincially, the federal government could assume a mandate to have a greater influence. If it would move to providing a tax relief to bike commuters, electric scooter riders and motorcyclists and provide a free-parking incentive to daily travelers, we would see a shift it the way our society commutes. We would benefit from less congested city centres, less carbon emissions and a healthier society in general.

Kelly Connor is the creator, designer and author of City Mom, a blog that follows her adventures raising a daughter in the heart of downtown London, Ont.

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